...because they have zero bearing on what 8 P5 schools would do if OU and Texas leave. I have not seen an honest or rational argument from any of the doom and gloom beatwriters covering the rest of the Big 12. But reality is a b-slap to the face and I can tell you all the writers are doing is getting click-bate stories out there. Let's look at reality:

BIG - No reason to add any tiny media draw to its footprint or add especially an ISU or KSU. Kansas barely gets a blip for basketball but in a loaded conference, it adds nothing. If anything the possibility B12 basketball declines is attractive to the ACC and B1G.

ACC - No reason to add a Kansas. Its CFB lineup is already just a rehashing of old Big Least teams that go nowhere in a conference that is right now just Clemson and 2nd tier programs at UNC, Miami, Va Tech and maybe FSU. It already faces too much "not enough" talk and adding mud to the lemonade does not make it taste better. Kansas isn't going to the ACC. It's staying put.

Ok State - Seriously, I cannot see the PAC going 1500 miles east and then to a long bus ride from anywhere to boot. It's staying put too.

The Texas Universities left all have smaller stadiums too and need plays (i.e. opponents made for home draws) that can fill them. With OU and Texas gone, the scheduling drops if these eight suddenly admit they were never really power conference worthy. If anything they will need to press one another to stand together as power programs. The PAC is too far. The B1G has no financial need. The SEC is full and the ACC is too snobbish to go west 1500 miles to get horse excrement on a pair of suede sneakers in wheat growing country. No the 8 are better off saying, good riddance OU and Texas. We don't need you. Send us a post card if either of you win an SEC title.

The 8 will be fine if they expand and add MEDIA members like BYU (international proven draw), HOUSTON (6 million peeps), A team from South or Central Florida (5 million peeps), maybe rapidly growing UNLV (Vegas is now 3 million peeps) or even add to 14 and get SDSU (5 million peeps) and CSU (bring back half the eyes on the Front Range).

ESPN and FOX can sell that footprint because it goes from about 20 million eyes to over 40 million adding 6.

The numnutz will all say, but the revenue split may drop from $35 million to $25 million / School, but remember, the 8 left were not getting that $35 million. OU and Texas were getting $45 million and everyone else barely half that. In any event, getting $20 million or so is better than getting AAC money. You take a step back, you don't fall down the stairs.

That's why I suggest you ignore the doom and gloom beat writers for now until we see the dominos fall. In the outside view the landscape says don't count the remaining members as ready to surrender. They actually have too much in common to just break up. If you listened to the various comments that came out of yesterday's Big 12 meeting, various presidents said the conference is united regardless of what OU and Texas do. They have to be, there is really little other choice.